Sostenuto attachment for electropneumatic instruments.



L. E. MOREL. SOSTBNUTO ATTACHMENT FOR ELEGTROPNEUMATIC INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 16, 1910. 1 30,319; Patented June 25,1912.

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Inventor I Attorneys Witnesses:

L. E. MOREL. SOSTENUTO ATTAGHMBNT FOR ELEG'IROPN BUMATIG INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR-18,1910.

Patented June 25, 1912,.

s QHEETS-SHEET 2. W52 w w v 3 L 30 4 Witnesses Inventor Attorneys T v 1 L.E.MORE L. SOSTENUTO ATTACHMENT FOR BLEOTROPNEUMATIG INSTRUMENTS,

. 1 APPLIUATION I'ILED APR-16,1910. I 1,030,319, Patented June 25, 1912.

', a SHEETS-SHEET a.

Z 0195/1 20 Z. Mafia witnesses: Inventor LORENZO EpMOREL, OF ST. HYACINTHE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

SOSTENUTO ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTROPNEUMATIC INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented June 25, 1912.

Application filed April 16, 1910. Serial No. 555,827.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZU E. MoRnL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at St. Hyacinthe, county of .St. Hyacinthe, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sostenu'to Attachments for Electropneumatic Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to electro-pneumatic playing instruments, and more particularly to a sostenuto attachment therefor.

struction, operation and use of the invention, reference should be had-to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings, like reference characters designate the same parts.

In the drawings: F igure-l is a vertical longitudinal section through mechanism embodying the invention, as applied; Fig.

'2 is a similar view through the windchest and pneumatlcs for operatlng an electro-pneumatic organ, showing the connec tion between the pneumatic and the sostenuto attachment; Fig. 3 is a right-hand elevation of Fig. l slightly modified, with one -wall of the casing removed; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on line -li of Fig. 6, as applied; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the air ducts permitting passage of a1r to op.- erate the valve controlling the pneumatic; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the device for controlling passage of air to and from the valve of the pneumatic; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the armature of the electro-magnet;

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross section on line 8-8 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic rep resentation of the electrical circuit connections,

The main object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact, positively acting, economical, durable and eflicient sostenuto attachment, by which one or more simultaneously struck notes may be con-, tinued in operation automatically, to permit the use of the operators hands for other notes. The construction and arrangement of parts are such that the operation of any one or more notes will instantly actuate the sostenuto attachment and transfer the operation of the s'ostenuto attachment from the note or notes last operated to the note or notes then being operated. In this way, each successive note will transfer the operation of the attachment from the last preceding note to itself.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 indicates the usual wind chest or chamber adapted to contain air under a considerable pressure for operating the instrument. EX- tending across the upper part of the interior of this chestis a partition 2, provided with a port or passage. This partition forms an upper chamber or compartment 3, adapted to deliver compressed air to the reeds or organ pipes. The compressed air enters the compartment 3 from the chest 1 by way of the port through the partition 2. This port is normally closed by a flap valve 4, which is held in raised or horizontal position by means of a spring 5. In order to lower the valve 4: and permit passage of air;

to the chamber 3, a pneumatic or bellows 6- is used. A link 7 connects the movable member of the bellows with the free end of the flap valve 4. Consequently, whenever the bellows is deflated, the valve will be drawn down or opened. --To effect deflation of the bellows, of course, it is necessary to permit escape of compressed air therefrom. This is accomplished by electro-pneumatic means. The base or stationary member of the pneumatic or bellows is provided with an air port 8 and a U-shaped air passage 9. The base is mounted upon a beam 10, pr vided with a horizontal or lateral bore or passage 11, an upper vertical port 12 adapted to be placed in alinement with the port 8, a recess 13 adapted to be alinedwith one branch of the U-pa ssage 9, a vertical passage 14 adapted to be aimed with the other branch of the U-passage 9, a smaller longitudinal bore or passage 15' ex ending from the passage beneath the recess 13., a vertical exhaust port 16 leading downwardly from the bore 15 andthrough the face of thebeam, and a port 17 extending longitudinally through the'beam and .adapted to dehver compressed air from the chest 1. into the recess 13.

v Secured across the widest branch of the 9, is a diaphragm 18, to which is U-passage the stem 19.0f a valve 20,'which connected "controls the port or passage. 16. Conse- 1'5 the "under face of the diaphragm exceeds .quently, when the upward air pressure on the air "pressure on the top face of the diaescape from the bellows by way of the ports and passages s, 12, 11, 15,16,24,23 and 25.

' Consequently,

--To accomplish this,

vided, together with devices for controlling the j passage of air to and through the ports and passages. The beamv 21 is provided with avertical'passage 22, adapted to be alin'ed'with the passage 14, and a horizontal or'lateral passage 23 leading to a port 2%,

' ,Whicl1- is ;comnriunicates with an opening 25 leading to cateswiththe port 16. "The passage 23 also the, atmosphere; jFrom the inner'end of the passage 23, a smaller lateral passage 26 leads toward-thefpassage22. This passa e-com- "municatesgywith a vertical port. 2 The port 27 andpassage 22 are adapted to communicate with passages 28 and 29- respectively, both extending vertically'through a ,.block -30 suitably-secured {to the beam 21.

' a block from one except for the yery v ricaljslit or; opening 31. On each side of,

cute with the: passage The passage 29 extends :clear through the sage 28, however, i

narrow vertical diametthis slit and'extending along the under face of the block, are grooves 32,Which communi- 29. Secured to the lower face of-the block 33, in which is mounted the electric-magnet of the block-33, is .a spacin 34, the poles, of which projectthrough flush with the up er'face of-the block. Between the two bloc 's, and secured to the upper face g plate 35. I This a plate is cutoutat the center to form a substantially,rectangular opening 36 having a notch37 at one ,e'nd-and an i'nwardly projecting notch ed tongue 38'at the other end..

notch in said tongue corresponds in "form and sizejto'the notch ea 37 aforesaid and 18 marked 37*, f'lhe opening 36'lies valve rod, the valve 20 will be raised and air Inents by the -37 and 37 in. alinement with-and commune. 9 raised.

face to the other. The-pasis closed at its lower end 30, is a second block directly above the ends of the magnet poles and the magnet coils, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, and when the blocks are in position, directly below the passage 28. The tongue 38 extends across the bottom end of the passage 29' when the blocks are in position, but its width is considerably less than the diameter of the passage. Consequently, air passing downward through the passage will not be stopped by the tongue, but will flow into the opening 36 at either side of the tongue. Air will also flow along. the grooves 32 and into the opening 36.

Loosely seated within the opening 36 is a thin armature plate 39, provided with lugs 40 adapted to fit loosely into the notches 37 and 37 and act as guides. This plate is of only about one-half the thickness of the plate 35, and is of'considerably less width than the opening 36. Consequently, it will have a slight vertical movement in the opening 36, and will be guided in such inovelugs 40 and cooperating notches The block 33 is provided with a vertical air passage 41 leading inwardly between the two arms of the magnet and adapted to deliver compressed air from the chest 1 to the opening 36, at a point "just beneath thecenter of the armature plate 39, when the parts are assembled. Consequently, at all times during which the electro-magnet is not energized, the air pressure through the passage 41 acts to hold the plate Then raised, it fits snugly across the slit 31 and so prevents entrance of air to the passage' or port 27 and its escape to the atmosphere through 25. However, air entering beneath the plate will flow into the passage36 and into the passage or port 29, and thence to the top face of the diaphragm 18. In this way, the air pressure exerted on the upper side of the diaphragm will be just equal to the air pressure exerted through the port 17 on the lower side of the diaphragm. Thus, the extra weight of the valve and-valve stem act to seat the valve and close the exhaust passage or pert 16. While the passage 16 is closed, no air can escape from the bellows to the atmosphere. Consequently,.the bellows will be kept in flated, as long as the armature plate is kept in raised, position. This armature plate therefore is anelectromagnetically controlled valve that normally prevents the opening of the-fla "-valve 4 and the emission of sound, but, -when attracted bypthe electromagnet34 permits the opening of said valve 4 and the emission of will be sustainedthe said magnetis energizedl The various devices above described interposed between gvalves'39 and 4am in a broad-sense opera ive connectiohsfor which others m ght obv ously: be substituted though their special construction iss-of ivalue-inmatters ct detail,

'airpressure on the upper face of diaphragm 18 1s reduced, thus allowing the valve 20 to rise and the air to escape from the bellows through the ports and passages 8, 12, 11, 15, 16, 2 1, 23 and 25, the compressed air in port 1? beingsimultaneously cut off from passages 11 and 15 by valve 20 in its upper position; The compressed air-pressure in i air-chest 1 will then compress the bellows,

lowering member 6 and flap-valve 4. To accomplish this result it is only necessary to draw the armature plate 39 down onto the poles of the magnet to close the passage 41. This is done by simply energizing the electromagnet 3 1 through the normally open circuit 42; completion of the circuit being effected by depressing the key 413 carrying one of two contacts 44:. Consequently, as soon as the key 43 is depressed, the armature 39 will be drawn down, closing the passage 411 and preventing the further entrance of compressed air from the chest 1. As the armature plate 39 is drawn down, it will also uncover the slit 31 and so permit the escape of compressed air from the upper face of the diaphragm 18 by way of the port and passages 9, 14, 22 and 29, into the opening 36. From this opening, it passes through the slit 31 and the ports and pas- Isages 28, 27, 26, 23 and 25,-to the atmosphere. As soon as the key is released, the

circuit will be broken and the armature plate will be again raised, thus seating the valve 20. As soon as the valve is seated, of course, compressed air will flow from the chest 1, through the ports and passages 17, 15, 12 and 8, and into the bellows, thus preventing further sounding of that particular note.

In a great many instances, it is desired to sustain or hold a certain note or group of notes, and to positively coiftinue its or their sounding until the next succeeding note is sounded. For this purpose, a sostenuto at- I tachment has been providedand combined with the electropneumatic devices just described and coiiperating with them. The apparatus for working the sosteiiuto attachment is contained in the second air chest 100. In the chest 100 is arranged the primary pneumatic or bellows 101,for the notes or keys of the instrument. This pneumatic is operated inexactly the same manner and by the same kind of devices as in the case of the pneumatics mounted in the casing 1. To the movable member of the bellows or pneumatic 101, is connected one-end of a link 102, the opposite end of which is conlpected by a spring 103 to the top of the chest. Extending transversely of the chest are one or more rock shafts 10 1, providedwith two sets of arms 105 and 106. The arms 105 are all connected to the links 102, and the arms 106 are allconnected to a bar 107, from which project the metallic conducting and holding fingers 108, for a pur pose to be later disclosed.

As the air escapes from the bellows 6, it will also escape from the pipe or tube 109 connected to the bellows. The opposite end of the pipe communicates with the tubular bore or passage 110 formed in the beam 112 and communicating with an opening 113. Across the opening 113 is mounted a diaphragm 11%, adapted to be held normally in raised position by means of a coil spring 115 arranged within the opening and beneath the diaphragm. Connected to the top of each diaphragm is a rod or link 116, the upper end of which is passed loosely through an arm on a guide plate 117 which is secured to a bar 118 mounted on the wall of the chest 100 and extending transversely therethrough. Each rod or link is provided with a contact plate 119. hen in raised position, the contact plate 119 engages the end of an upper movable contact linger 120, and holds it in raised or inoperative position. As the air escapes from beneath the diaphragm 114:, the rod or link 116 will drop, carrying the plate 119 with it. The upper contact finger willv follow the contact plate until the contact plate engages the lower movable contact finger 121. At this point, there will be a momentary circuit through the two contacts 121,120, plate 119, electro-magnet 122, and the battery and wires of the regular circuit. The closure is but momentary, and is immediately broken by the continued downward movement of the plate 119. This brief closure, however, is sufiicient to energize the electromagnet 122 and so operate the bellows 101 at practically the same instant that the rod 116 with its plate 119 is reaching its lowest position. Operation of the bellows. 101, of course, causes rocking of the rods 10st and consequent backward and upward swing of the fingers 108 to clear them from the pull of the plate 119. Since the closure is so brief, the reverse rocking or movement of the rods takes place immediately by means of the spring 103. In this way, the finger 108 will drop back above the plate 119 before it can return to its original position, thus holding it down. In this manner, a circuit will be continued through the electromagnet 3st of the depressed key until the finger 108 is again swung out of engagement with the plate 119. This, of course, onlyoccurs when the next note is sounded, such sounding being accompanied, as in the former instance above described, by the deflation of the bellows 6, which sounds said note, closely followed by that of bellows 101 and the consequent turning of the rock shaft to free the contacts 119 and 121 controlling. the previous note with consequent opening of the circuit through the magnet 34 previously venergized. Qonsequently,-eacl1 note or group of'notes .will continue to sound until another note has been struck. It will then cease.

. every one of the keys of the instrument, a

single electric battery being amply sufiicient for the entire outfit, only a few of the many keys being in .operation at any .one time.

There is an individual wire C for each key and there are two of each of the parts 101 and 105 for each wire 0 as shown in Fig. 1, the parts 108, 119, 120, 121, 123 and 124; being asnumerou's as required. The contact bar 107 is continuous for each horizontal se-.

ries of contactsas shown in Fig. 8. The elements 0, (Z,'e, f, and 51' do not need to be duplicated for each key, but there are as many existence, being 40 wires eas wires and each is connected by each of its two branch wires 123 to the corresponding contact finger 120. The wires 124v make up two horizontal series, each series being gathered into a cable 125 (Figs. 1- and 3) and having protruding ends. In Fig. 1 both of the cables are shown -in cross section and. in normalposition. In the upper part of Fig. 3 the wires 124 are shown gathered into a cable at the right hand of said figure, but unwrapped and loose in the remainder of said figure and the lower cable .is also omitted; both of these items of illustration being with the View of more clearly conveying the arrangement of such wires in and with respect to the cable 125 and other parts. The'said cable has no independent wires 12st, the main parts of which are bound together by a cable-casing, asusual in such devices. One end of each wire 124 is bent out of the cable, at right angles thereto,- as shown in Fig. 1, for attachment to the appropriate wire 0. bent end of only one of the wires 121 of the cable 125'-can be shown in a cross-section,

such as Fig. 1, also only one contact 121, but

Fig. 3 shows all the contacts 121 and their connection to.the other ends of the wires 124. .Wires 0 and-e are. necessarily hidden in this view. As they exactly-repeat each other-and are arranged in series like 121 and connections, it has seemed unnecessary to show all of them in any one view. The-- same is true of wires e and 128. Each of the latter connects with a contact finger 120,

in one line of the circuit for energizing the electro-magnet- 122 of the primary bellows,

and the corresponding wire 124: of the cable 125 connects the corresponding contact fin-, ger 121 with the other line of the same circuit.

In order to more clearly define the cir- 5- cuits, referenceletters have been applied to merely a collection of such Of course the- I departing from same, audit is meant to include all such wires or sections of Wires, and arrows. indicate' the direction of the current through them. \Vhen the key 13 is depressed to complete the circuit, the current will flow from the positive side of the battery a through the wire I), cont-acts 41, wire 0, electro-magnet 34, (Fig. 2) and back through wire d to j the negative side of the battery all as indi-' cated by arrows.

As soon as the contact plate 119 completes the momentary circuit, the current will flow fromthe positive side of the battery through the wire Z), contacts 41, wire 0 and the appropriate wire 1241 of cable 125 to the corresponding contact finger 121, plate 119- and-contact finger 120, both of said fingers.

being momentarily in simultaneous contact with said plate, thence through branch wire 123 and wire 6, following the arrows, to the magnet 122 (Fig. 1), thence through wire f (which is parallel to the horizontal lower part of wire 6) and finally to the negative pole of battery a. i

The circuit completed next in order of time and operation for sounding the notes as above stated, is closed by contact plate 119 held down by that contiguous contact finger- 108 to make contact with finger 121, but not with finger 120.- The current then flows from the positive side of the battery a (as last above mentioned for the momentary circuit) but inthis instance through wire 9, upward, as indicated by the arrows, and over and down to contact finger 10S, plate 119, finger 121 and the connected wire 121 of cable 125, in direction-the reverse of that indicated'by the arrow, to wire 0, then up said wire as indicated by said arrows, to the already energized elect-ro-magnet 31 (Figs.

2 and l) then through the coils of the latter and back through wire (Z, following the direction of .the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2, to-

the negative side of battery a.

.Vheth'er the electric current shall pass from the positive side of the battery through wire 0 or wire 9 depends on the rel-' ative positions of the parts 108, 119, 120 and 121 and 'the contacts made by them; the

current being shifted from etc 9 by the continued downward movement ofp'late 119 as described and the movement of said finger 108 into position for contactv therewith by .the rocking of shaft 104 and bar 107 owing to closure of-circuit through parts 120, 119, 121 and 122 and their wires and the consequent operation of the primary bellows. I

It is thought that the operatlon and use of the invention will be clear from the pre-.

ceding detailed description.

Changes may be made in the construction,

arrangement and disposition of -the several parts of the invention, without 111 any way the field and'scope of the within this application, wherein only preferred forms have been disclosed.

Having thusfully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

chest, an electro-magnet controlling the action of said bellows, means operated by said movable part to make a brief circuit through the latter magnet and circuit-closing devices operated by said bellows to maintain circuit through the first-mentioned magnet, thus sustaining the note, substantially as set forth.

2. An electro-pneumatic musical instrument comprising a series of bellows 6, each controlling the sounding of a note, a primary bellows 101, a series of electro-magnets 34, each arranged to control a bellows 6, conductors making circuit through each of said magnets at will, an electromagnet 122 and its electrical connections controlling the primary bellows 101, and circuit-closing devices actuated by the exhaust of any bellows 6 for making circuit through magnet 122, the said devices including a movable part actuated by said primary bellows and adapted to hold the circuit closed through the magnet 34 of said bellows 6 while said part is in actuated position and electrical connections making circuit independently through each of the magnets 34 as its circuit is'thus closed, said part being freed by the closing of the circuit through the next magnet 34 which is operated for the purpose set forth.

3. An electro-pneumatic musical instrument comprising a series of bellows 6, each controlling the sounding of a note, a primary bellows 101, a series of electro-magnets 34, each arranged to control a bellows 6, conductors making circuit through each. of said magnets at will, an eleetro-magnet 122 and its electric connections controlling the primary bellows 101 and circuit-closing devices actuated by any bellows 6 and making mo- 'mentary circuit through magnet 122, said circuit-closing devices comprising a spring actuated rock shaft and two contacts held together thereby for maintaining circuit through any one of said magnets 3st until the next note is sounded, said rock shaft being connected to and actuated by bellows 101 for freeing said finger and contacts on the deflation oft-he latter bellows.

.4 An electro pneumatic musical instrument comprising a series of bellows each controlling the sounding of a note, a series of electro-magnets 34 and their armatures governing said bellows respectively, a bellows and circuit-closing devices actuated thereby for sustaining in each instancethe energy of the magnet and the sounding of the note, a magnet controlling the action of the latter bellows, circuit-closing devices for energizing the latter. magnet and means operated as the result of the exhaust of the first named bellows for actuating these circuit closing devices.

5. An electropneumatie musical instrument comprising pneumatic means for causing the soundingof a note, a valve which governs the exhaust of said pneumatic means, an electro-magnet which operates the said valve, sostenuto mechanism comprising a pneumatic device, an electro-magnet governing the same, circuit-closing devices for the latter magnet, a conduit connected with the exhaust outlet of the first-mentioned pneumatic means, a diaphragm at the end of said conduit arranged to operate said circuit-closing devices, and additional circuitclosing devices operated by the sostenuto pneumatic devices to make and sustain the circuit through the first mentioned magnet.

6. An electro-pneumatic musical instrument comprising a bellows governing the sounding of a note, a valve which is also an armature and controls the air si'ipply'and,

ment comprising a bellows 6 governing the sounding of a note, a valve and electro-mag net 34 operating the same for governing the air-supply and exhaust of said bellows, a key provided with contacts and adapted to close the circuit energizing said magnet, primary bellows and magnet 122 governing its air supply, a movable part and a pneumatic conduit thereto from 'the bellows 6 whereby said part is actuated, movable contacts operated'by said movable part and arranged to close circuit moI-nentarily through the magnet 122, an additional contact moved by the action of this magnet and the primary bellows into position for maintaining circuit through electro-inagnet 34 and means carried by said primary bellows for holding the latter circuit closed while the magnet ,-magnet 34 controlling the action of the bel- 'iiient comprising'bellowsfor sounding a note, a wind-chest, a spring-held diaphragm therein adapted tomove up and down, a passage from said bellows to said diaphragm, a contact 119 carried by said diaphragm, a contact 120 bearing on contact 119 to descend therewithga contact 121 arranged below conr tact. 119

or momentarily closing of circuit between contacts 120, 119 and 121, a contact 108, a rock-shaft carrying the latter con- ;iact, a reciprocating device acting on said "rock-shaft to, moversaid contact 108 first out of'the way of'contact 1'19 and then above the same to hold the latter down in contact .115

with 121 and maintain the circuit through.

.108 and 121,bellows carrying said reciproeating means, an-electro-magnet 122 con-' l trolling the action'of said bellows, e1ectric connections from contacts 120 and 121 to this magnet which' is energized thereby, a

lows first mentioned, and connections from -;-contacts 108 and 121 to magnet 34 whereby .122 remains energ zed.

thereby, each "mechanism comprising a be ows, a valve governing the supply and exhaust of the latter and an electro-magnet 34 operating said valve, a diaphragm pneumatically: connected to said bellows, a primary bellows 101, an electro-' ne 2-g0 erning the same, contacts o the mechanism 'to my hand in the wa ers -erated by the movement of said diaphragm to ,close circuit momentarily throu h the latter magnet, a rock-shaft operate by said, bellows 101, a series of contacts carriedby said rock-shaft for making circuit through any one of said contacts and holding down the same, connections maintaining circuit through said contacts and magnet 34: while said rock-shaft maintains the position for making circuit through a vmagnet 34:, and contacts and electric connections operated by each key to close circuit through the magnet 34 belonging thereto and simultaneously cause the movement of said rock-shaft to break the circuit through the magnet 34 of viously sounded.

10. In combination with a bellows, conso produce the note last pretrolling vthe sounding'of a note, a valve and electro-magnet governing the action of vsaid bellows, a key provided with means for making circuit through said magnet, a pr mary bellows, a magnet governing the latter, means, operated by the .first mentioned bellows for closing circuit through the latter magnet and means operated by the primary bellows for closing and maintaining circuit through the first mentioned magnet after the pressure on the said key is withdrawn. In witness whereof I have hereunto set presence of two witnesses. LORENZO E. MOREL.

Witnesses:'

I L. A. G'Anvm,

W. S..BABGOCK 

